AN ACT
 1-1     relating to the qualifications of a county purchasing agent and to
 1-2     county purchasing procedures.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 262.011, Local Government Code, is
 1-5     amended by adding Subsection (p) to read as follows:
 1-6           (p)  During each two-year term of office, a county purchasing
 1-7     agent shall complete not less than 25 hours in courses relating to
 1-8     the duties of the county purchasing agent.  The courses must be:
 1-9                 (1)  accredited by a nationally recognized college or
1-10     university; or
1-11                 (2)  recognized by a national purchasing association,
1-12     such as the National Association of Purchasing Management; or
1-13                 (3)  courses offered by state agencies related to
1-14     purchasing.
1-15           SECTION 2.  Subsection (a), Section 262.023, Local Government
1-16     Code, is amended to read as follows:
1-17           (a)  Before a county may purchase one or more items under a
1-18     contract that will require an expenditure exceeding $25,000
1-19     [$15,000], the commissioners court of the county must comply with
1-20     the competitive bidding or competitive proposal procedures
1-21     prescribed by this subchapter.  All bids or proposals must be
1-22     sealed.
1-23           SECTION 3.  Subsection (a), Section 262.026, Local Government
1-24     Code, is amended to read as follows:
 2-1           (a)  The county official who makes purchases for the county
 2-2     shall open the bids on the date specified in the notice.  The date
 2-3     specified in the notice may be extended if the commissioners court
 2-4     determines that the extension is in the best interest of the
 2-5     county.  All bids, including those received before an extension is
 2-6     made, must be opened at the same time.  The commissioners court may
 2-7     adopt an order that delegates the authority to make extensions
 2-8     under this subsection to the county official who makes purchases
 2-9     for the county [by the commissioners court if an error is
2-10     discovered in the original specifications or the nature of the item
2-11     to be purchased requires an extension for the county to best use
2-12     the provisions of Section 262.030].
2-13           SECTION 4.  The change in law made by Section 1 of this Act,
2-14     relating to the requirement that a county purchasing agent complete
2-15     25 hours in courses involving county purchasing, applies only to
2-16     each term of office of a county purchasing agent that begins on or
2-17     after the effective date of this Act.
2-18           SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-19           SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-20     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-21     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-22     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-23     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
         _______________________________     _______________________________
             President of the Senate              Speaker of the House
               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1669 passed the Senate on
         April 16, 1999, by a viva-voce vote; and that the Senate concurred
         in House amendment on May 21, 1999, by a viva-voce vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Secretary of the Senate
               I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1669 passed the House, with
         amendment, on May 19, 1999, by a non-record vote.
                                             _______________________________
                                                 Chief Clerk of the House
         Approved:
         _______________________________
                     Date
         _______________________________
                   Governor